The Fermented Soy Product ImmuBalanceTM Suppresses Airway Inflammation in a Murine Model of Asthma

Are Fermented Foods Effective against Inflammatory Diseases?

Fermented foods have been used over the centuries in various parts of the world. These foods are rich in nutrients and are produced naturally using various biological tools like bacteria and fungi. Fermentation of edible foods has been rooted in ancient cultures to keep food for preservation and storage for a long period of time with desired or enhanced nutritional values. Inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, and chronic inflammatory pain are chronic disorders that are difficult to treat, and current treatments for these disorders fail due to various adverse effects of prescribed medications over a long period of time. Fermented foods containing probiotic bacteria and fungi can enhance the immune system, improve gastrointestinal health, and lower the risk of developing various inflammatory diseases. Foods prepared from vegetables by fermentation, like kimchi, sauerkraut, soy-based foods, or turmeric, lack proper clinical and translational experimental studies. The current review has focused on the effectiveness of various fermented foods or drinks used over centuries against inflammation, arthritis, and oxidative stress. We also described potential limitations on the efficacies or usages of these fermented products to provide an overarching picture of the research field.

Obstacles to home-based dietary management for caregivers of children with citrin deficiency: a qualitative study

Background

Dietary management is the most important and effective treatment for citrin deficiency, as well as a decisive factor in the clinical outcome of patients. However, the dietary management ability of caregivers of children with citrin deficiency is generally poor, especially in East Asia where carbohydrate-based diets are predominant. The aim of this study was to identify the difficulties that caregivers encounter in the process of home-based dietary management, and the reasons responsible for these challenges.

Results

A total of 26 caregivers of children with citrin deficiency were recruited, including 24 mothers, one father, and one grandmother. Grounded theory was employed to identify three themes (covering 12 sub-themes) related to the dilemma of dietary management: dietary management that is difficult to implement; conflicts with traditional concepts; and the notion that children are only a part of family life. The first theme describes the objective difficulties that caregivers encounter in the process of dietary management; the second theme describes the underlying reasons responsible for the non-adherent behavior of caregivers; the third theme further reveals the self-compromise by caregivers in the face of multiple difficulties.

Conclusions

This study reflects the adverse effects of multi-dimensional contradictions on the adherence of caregivers to dietary management. These findings reveal that the dietary management of citrin deficiency is not only a rational process, rather it is deeply embedded in family, social, and dietary traditions.

Fermented Food in Asthma and Respiratory Allergies—Chance or Failure?

In the last few decades, a dramatic increase in the global prevalence of allergic diseases and asthma was observed. It was hypothesized that diet may be an important immunomodulatory factor influencing susceptibility to allergic diseases. Fermented food, a natural source of living microorganisms and bioactive compounds, has been demonstrated to possess health-promoting potentials and seems to be a promising strategy to reduce the risk of various immune-related diseases, such as allergic diseases and asthma. The exact mechanisms by which allergic diseases and asthma can be alleviated or prevented by fermented food are not well understood; however, its potential to exert an effect through modulating the immune response and influencing the gut microbiota has been recently studied. In this review, we provide the current knowledge on the role of diet, including fermented foods, in preventing or treating allergic diseases and asthma.